Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday submitted his resignation as the Odisha chief minister to Governor Raghubar Das in Bhubaneswar, reported ANI.

The Biju Janata Dal on Tuesday lost the Odisha Assembly election, winning 51 out of the state’s 147 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party won 78 seats, four more than the halfway mark of 74.

The BJP will form the government in Odisha for the first time.

Patnaik had been the chief minister of the state for 24 years since March 2000, becoming the second-longest-serving chief minister in India since Independence.

The Odisha Assembly elections were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

The BJP swept the parliamentary election in Odisha, winning 20 of 21 seats, with the Congress securing the remaining one. The Biju Janata Dal could not open its account.

Also read: How did the BJP sweep Odisha?